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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has stepped up pressure on the Federal Government for a permanent salary increase for workers, accusing it of reneging on a previous wage agreement and insisting that the N70,000 monthly transport allowance recently approved for federal public servants cannot substitute for a sustainable improvement in workers’ earnings.
The Congress, which has remained opposed to the six-month transport allowance negotiated between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said the government’s failure to fully implement a similar intervention in 2023 had reinforced its position that workers needed a lasting salary adjustment rather than another temporary payment arrangement.
The renewed demand has brought the differences within organised labour over the government’s latest offer into sharper focus, with the TUC also insisting that the collective bargaining rights of its affiliates must be respected in negotiations affecting their salaries, allowances and conditions of service.
In a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency meeting of its National Administrative Council (NAC) and signed by its Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro, the Congress maintained that the worsening economic pressures on workers required a more enduring response than a transport allowance that would expire after six months.
The Federal Government had, on October 27, reached an agreement with the NLC to pay federal public servants N70,000 monthly as transport support for six months, beginning in November 2026, following conciliation meetings over rising living costs, workers’ welfare and other outstanding labour demands.
However, the TUC maintained that the agreement fell short of addressing the fundamental problem of inadequate remuneration, arguing that temporary interventions had repeatedly failed to deliver the lasting relief workers required.
The Congress recalled that the Federal Government had similarly agreed on October 2, 2023, to implement a 10-month wage award pending the introduction of a new national minimum wage, but failed to honour the arrangement in full.
According to the TUC, workers received an average of only three months’ payment out of the agreed 10 months before the new minimum wage was signed into law on July 29, 2024.
“The NAC reiterated that Congress is demanding a salary increase and not another wage award, particularly in view of the Federal Government’s failure to fully implement the wage award palliative agreed upon on 2nd October 2023, which was intended to run until the new minimum wage was signed into law on 29th July 2024.
“Under the agreement, workers received an average of only three months out of the 10 months agreed upon,” the communiqué stated.
The Congress argued that the experience demonstrated the limitations of temporary wage interventions and strengthened the case for a negotiated salary increase that would provide workers with greater financial security and protect their purchasing power.
It maintained that although the N70,000 allowance could offer immediate relief, its limited duration meant that workers would eventually return to their existing salary structure without any lasting improvement in their earnings.
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The NAC also reaffirmed its position that the national minimum wage was a statutory floor and not a ceiling on workers’ remuneration, stressing that the existence of a minimum wage did not prevent workers from negotiating higher salaries and improved conditions of service.
The Congress said this position, earlier articulated in its October 21, 2026, statement, remained central to its demand for a sustainable salary adjustment in response to the rising cost of living.
Beyond the disagreement over remuneration, the TUC also raised concerns about the representation of workers in negotiations with the government, maintaining that agreements affecting its members must respect established collective bargaining procedures.
The NAC acknowledged the positions taken by some of its public-sector affiliates, including the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRAI), the National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC).
The unions had expressed reservations over the transport allowance arrangement, reinforcing the TUC’s insistence that affected workers must be represented through their recognised organisations in negotiations concerning their welfare.
The Congress maintained that workers’ interests could not be adequately protected by disregarding the collective bargaining rights of affected unions or undermining their legitimate representation in discussions on conditions of service.
It reaffirmed its status as a recognised trade union centre with the mandate to represent, defend and negotiate on behalf of its members, citing International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 87 and 98, which protect freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.
The TUC stressed that these principles must guide engagements between government and organised labour, particularly on matters affecting workers belonging to different trade union centres.
Despite its objections to the allowance, the Congress indicated its readiness to continue negotiations with the Federal Government, saying it would pursue constructive and result-oriented engagement towards securing a more sustainable improvement in workers’ remuneration.
It said its immediate priority remained the implementation of resolutions reached at its October 8, 2026, NAC meeting in Abuja and the removal of barriers affecting employees in federal and state public services.
The council also urged its leaders to concentrate on securing improved salaries through engagement with relevant stakeholders rather than allowing public exchanges over the disputed allowance to distract from the central welfare demands of workers.
While the TUC did not announce industrial action or issue a strike ultimatum, its renewed insistence on a permanent salary increase underscored the unresolved differences over the Federal Government’s latest intervention.
The Congress reaffirmed its commitment to purposeful leadership, effective representation and collective bargaining, maintaining that its objective was to secure tangible and lasting improvements in the earnings and living standards of Nigerian workers.
